By R.L. Bynum

OMAHA, Neb. — After spending most of the season watching from the dugout, the college baseball world watched Jackson Van De Brake come through with a huge hit on the sport’s biggest stage.

And Vance Honeycutt added yet another game-ending hit.

In his first at-bat in 21 days, Van De Brake led off the ninth inning with an opposite-field double down the right-field line. He scored on Honeycutt’s two-out single to left field as No. 4-seed Carolina slipped past No. 12 Virginia 3–2 in the Men’s College World Series opener on Friday at Charles Schwab Field Omaha.

It was the first walk-off CWS victory in program history.

“Our approach was to see the ball out over the plate, anything and probably shutting it down,” Van De Brake said in facing Virginia reliever Chase Hungate (loser, 7–2). “Went 2 and 0 and I took two pitches that I wasn’t necessarily going to be able to get a great swing off. Got to that 2-2, and he left it up a little bit, and I was able to get the barrel there.”

For the cardiac Tar Heels (48–14), five of their nine wins have come in the last at-bat.

“You almost expect it with this team, but we’re playing really good teams,” said UNC coach Scott Forbes, who joked with the heart-thumping games his team repeatedly has had that he probably needs to cut down on the Red Bulls.

Forbes isn’t the only one. Senior Parks Harber asked assistant coach Jesse Wierzbicki after the game: “How do you guys make it through the game? I don’t even know if I’m going to live to be 50. I think my heart’s going to just fail.”

But these Tar Heels are built not to fail.

Casey Cook delivered a 3 for 4 game for UNC, which got another outstanding outing from reliever Dalton Pence (winner, 5–1), who finished the game with 3⅓ hitless shutout innings with no walks and two strikeouts.

UNC advances to a winner’s bracket game at 7 p.m. ET Sunday against No. 1 Tennessee (56–12), which beat No. 8 Florida State (46–16) 12–11. Virginia (46–16) plays the Seminoles in an elimination game at 2 p.m. ET Sunday.

“I just wanted to just go at it slow, just try to slow myself down,” Honeycutt said of his latest game-ending at-bat. “And I got a good pitch 2–0 and kind of came out of it. Got the same pitch 2–1 and stayed down.”

Honeycutt became the third player since 1999 with three walk-off hits in an NCAA tournament.

In his first at-bat since pinch-hitting against Wake Forest on May 24 in the ACC tournament and his 73rd at-bat this season, Van De Brake, a second-team All-ACC pick in 2023, got his first hit since May 23 against Pittsburgh.

“I’ve felt really good in BP, we’ve been doing live ABs and our off-days and weekends,” said Van De Brake, who is hitting .205. “I felt good with that. That’s kind of what it’s all about. When you’re not in there, you’ve got to keep yourself feeling good and ready for when you get called up.”

Forbes wasn’t surprised that Van De Brake was ready to meet the moment.

“The thing about Vandy is he’s not an all-or-nothing guy,” Forbes said. “Even though he doesn’t have a high batting average, he still looked at the ball — he’s walked. He has some savvy about him. He can get a bunt down. He can run.”

Pence has thrown 13⅓ consecutive shutout innings.

“Just commanding the strike zone and letting my stuff work from inside the strike zone to out of it and just attacking them,” Pence said of his approach. “That’s really what I had going for me.”

Once again, Honeycutt proved why he’s a multiple first-team All-American selection.

“He’s also shown in his career that he enjoys the big moment,” Forbes said. “He invites the big moment. So, I’m just hoping we can get more guys on base for him.”

Cook was 3 of his last 16 coming into the game but got a single and double in his first two at-bats before driving in the tying run in the seventh inning.

“I’m just thinking my at-bats weren’t terrible the last two weeks,” said Cook, who hadn’t driven in a run since tallying three RBI against Pittsburgh on May 23. “The balls just weren’t falling; the RBIs weren’t coming. I just had to stick to what I was doing all year. And, luckily, today, the ball started falling and started driving a run in.”

UNC starter Jason DeCaro looked sharp at times but only lasted 4+ innings after his pitch count hit 89.

DeCaro looked shaky in the first inning, loading the bases by hitting a batter and walking two others. He escaped by striking out Virginia home-run leader Harrison Didawick on a 94 mph 3-2 pitch to get out of the inning after throwing 30 pitches.

Cook gave UNC a 1–0 lead in the first inning with a one-out single to center, taking third on Parks Harber’s double down the left-field line and scoring on Anthony Donofrio’s groundout.

DeCaro had retired five straight before three straight one-out hits tied it, with Henry Ford hitting an RBI single. After the game was paused briefly to allow Tar Heels relievers to get to the bullpen, DeCaro escaped further damage with a strikeout and a lineout.

DeCaro’s day ended after issuing his fourth walk to lead off the fifth inning. Matt Poston came on and retired three straight Cavaliers.

In the sixth inning, though, Griff O’Ferrall made it 2–1 on a sacrifice fly after Eric Becker’s double followed Henry Godbout’s leadoff walk. Poston gave way to Pence, who elicited an inning-ending groundout. Pence also stranded a runner at second in the seventh inning with a strikeout.

Alex Madera singled to left to start the seventh, took second on Colby Wilkerson’s sacrifice bunt and Cook scored him with a single to left to tie it at 2.

That ended a solid effort by Virginia left-hander Evan Blanco, who gave up seven hits, two runs, two walks and struck out four in 6⅔ innings. Reliever Hungate got Harber to ground out to end the inning.

NOTES — With a Sunday win, Carolina would play for a CWS Finals berth at 2 p.m. Wednesday. With a Sunday loss, UNC would play in an elimination game at 2 p.m. Tuesday. … UNC also won its opener in 2018, beating Oregon State 8–6 before losing the next two games. … It was the first time in program history that the Tar Heels have won a CWS game in which Mike Fox didn’t play or coach. … Before UNC’s seventh-inning run, it had only scored three runs in the 15 innings since scoring three in the ninth inning of Friday’s 8–6 win over West Virginia. …Roy Williams was at the game wearing the same Panama hat he wore when he saw UNC’s rally against Long Island. … The NCAA picks the color for the polo shirts that its CWS staff wears long before the event starts, and they are Carolina blue. … It was the third straight game with third baseman Gavin Gallaher batting fifth and designated hitter Alberto Osuna batting seventh. Osuna, who is 1 for hits last 14 with seven strikeouts (including three of UNC’s four vs. Virginia), was lifted in the ninth inning for Van De Brake.

No. 4 UNC 3, No. 12 Virginia 2

Men’s College World Series

At Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Omaha, Neb.
Bracket 1
No. 1 Tennessee (3–0), No. 8 Florida State (2–2), No. 4 North Carolina (1–2), No. 12 Virginia (0–2)
Bracket 2
No. 3 Texas A&M (3–0), Florida (2–2), No. 2 Kentucky (1–2), No. 10 N.C. State (0–2)
Pool play
(All listed times are EDT)
Friday’s results
Game 1: No. 4 North Carolina 3, No. 12 Virginia 2
Game 2: No. 1 Tennessee 12, No. 8 Florida State 11
Saturday’s results
Game 3: No. 2 Kentucky 5, No. 10 N.C. State 4, 10 innings
Game 4: No. 3 Texas A&M 3, Florida 2
Sunday’s results
Game 5: No. 8 Florida State 7, No. 12 Virginia 3; Virginia eliminated
Game 6: No. 1 Tennessee 6, No. 4 North Carolina 1
Monday’s results
Game 7: Florida 5, No. 10 N.C. State 4; N.C. State eliminated
Game 8: No. 3 Texas A&M 5, No. 2 Kentucky 1
Tuesday’s result
Game 9: No. 8 Florida State 9, No. 4 North Carolina 5; North Carolina eliminated
Wednesday’s results
Game 10: Florida 15, No. 2 Kentucky 4; Kentucky eliminated
Game 11: No. 1 Tennessee 7, No. 8 Florida State 2; Florida State eliminated
Game 12: No. 3 Texas A&M 6, Florida 0; Florida eliminated
MCWS Finals
(Best-of-3 series)
No. 1 Tennessee (60–13) vs. No. 3 Texas A&M (53–15)
Game 1: Texas A&M 9, Tennessee 5
Game 2 Tennessee, 4, Texas A&M 1
Game 3: Tennessee 6, Texas A&M 5; Tennessee wins national champinship

UNC results

Date	Day/ month	Score	Opponent/event (final ranks)	Record
	February
16	Friday	W, 10–3	vs. Wagner	1–0
17	Saturday	W, 16–5	vs. Wagner	2–0
18	Sunday	W, 20–6	vs. Wagner	3–0
20	Tuesday	W, 8–7	vs. Elon	4–0
23	Friday	W, 2–1	vs. No. 20 East Carolina	5–0
24	Saturday	L, 7–4	vs. No. 20 East Carolina in Fayetteville	5–1
25	Sunday	L, 10–9	at No. 20 East Carolina	5–2
27	Tuesday	W, 8–2	vs. VCU	6–2
28	Wednesday	W, 12–3	vs. Longwood	7–2
	March
1	Friday	W, 12–2	vs. Princeton	8–2
2	Saturday	W, 11–2	vs. Princeton	9–2
3	Sunday	W, 13–6	vs. Princeton	10–2
5	Tuesday	W, 7–3	at Campbell	11–2
8	Friday	W, 2–1	vs. Pittsburgh	12–2, 1–0 ACC
9	Saturday	W, 7–3	vs. Pittsburgh	13–2, 2–0 ACC
10	Sunday	W, 6–5, 10 innings	vs. Pittsburgh	14–2, 3–0 ACC
12	Tuesday	W, 13–7	vs. Rutgers	15–2
13	Wednesday	W, 9–8	vs. Rutgers	16–2
15	Friday	L, 14–1	at Miami	16–3, 3–1 ACC
16	Saturday	L, 2–1	at Miami	16–4, 3–2 ACC
17	Sunday	W, 18–6, 7 innings (10-run rule)	at Miami	17–4, 4–2 ACC
19	Tuesday	W, 11–0, 7 innings (10-run rule)	vs. UNCW	18–4
22	Friday	W, 5–4	vs. Georgia Tech	19–4, 5–2 ACC
23	Saturday	W, 11–5	vs. Georgia Tech	20–4, 6–2 ACC
24	Sunday	W, 9–2	vs. Georgia Tech	21–4, 7–2 ACC
26	Tuesday	W, 10–8	vs. N.C. A&T	22–4
29	Friday	W, 6–5	at Wake Forest	23–4, 8–2 ACC
30	Saturday	W, 10–6	at Wake Forest	24–4, 9–2 ACC
31	Sunday	W, 14–10	at Wake Forest	25–4, 10–2 ACC
	April
4	Thursday	L, 14–11	at No. 7 Virginia	25–5, 10–3 ACC
5	Friday	L, 7–2	at No. 7 Virginia	25–6, 10–4 ACC
6	Saturday	W, 12–7	at No. 7 Virginia	26–6, 11–4 ACC
9	Tuesday	L, 2–1	vs. South Carolina in Charlotte	26–7
12	Friday	W, 13–0, 6½ innings (10-run rule)	vs. Notre Dame	27–7, 12–4 ACC
13	Saturday	W, 7–2	vs. Notre Dame	28–7, 13–4 ACC
14	Sunday	W, 10–3	vs. Notre Dame	29–7, 14–4 ACC
16	Tuesday	L, 5–4	vs. Coastal Carolina	29–8
18	Thursday	L, 9–8	at No. 6 N.C. State	29–9, 14–5 ACC
19	Friday	L, 5–4	at No. 6 N.C. State	29–10, 14–6 ACC
20	Saturday	W, 14–3	at No. 6 N.C. State	30–10, 15–6 ACC
23	Tuesday	W, 5–2	vs. Gardner-Webb	31–10
26	Friday	W, 8–1	vs. Virginia Tech	32–10, 16–6 ACC
27	Saturday	W, 6–3	vs. Virginia Tech	33–10, 17–6 ACC
28	Sunday	L, 4–3	vs. Virginia Tech	33–11, 17–7 ACC
30	Tuesday	W, 13–1, 6½ innings (10-run rule)	vs. Charlotte	34–11
	May
1	Wednesday	W, 19–2, 6½ innings (10-run rule)	vs. William & Mary	35–11
7	Tuesday	W, 16–10	vs. Campbell	36–11
10	Friday	W, 13–4 8 innings (10-run rule)	vs. Louisville	37–11, 18–7 ACC
11	Saturday	W, 6–4	vs. Louisville	38–11, 19–7 ACC
12	Sunday	W, 16–7	vs. Louisville	39–11, 20–7 ACC
16	Thursday	L, 5–3	at No. 24 Duke	39–12, 20–8 ACC
17	Friday	W, 6–4	at No. 24 Duke	40–12, 21–8 ACC
18	Saturday	W, 14–6	at No. 24 Duke	41–12, 22–8 ACC
		ACC tournament	in Charlotte
23	Thursday	W, 12–2	Pittsburgh	42–12
24	Friday	L, 9–5, 12 innings	Wake Forest	42–13
			NCAA tournament
			Chapel Hill Regional
31	Friday	W, 11–8	Long Island	43–13
	June
1	Saturday	W, 6–2	LSU	44–13
2	Sunday	L, 8–4	LSU	44–14
3	Monday	W, 4–3, 10 innings	LSU	45–14
			Chapel Hill Super Regional
7	Friday	W, 8–6	No. 13 West Virginia	46–14
8	Saturday	W, 2–1	No. 13 West Virginia	47–14
			College World Series Omaha, Neb.
14	Friday	W, 3–2	vs. No. 7 Virginia	48–14
16	Sunday	L, 6–1	No. 1 Tennessee	48–15
18	Tuesday	L, 9–5	No. 4 Florida State	48–16